Machine for concentrating ores and amalgamating gold ores



Jan. 22, 1935 s w A 1,988,500

MACHINE FOR CONCENTRATING ORES AND AMALGAMATING GOLD ORES Filed Jan. 15,1934 a |H 3? HM I 1 33 I 27 nv 25 V 11w" 3/ 1' l I 55 26 In a J I 25 307 22 3L k \g vll w ix ,5 \R Q k 1 l '1" 1 /9 m &

7 INVENTOR jqdney Walla/lad a M118. n ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 22, 1935MACHINE Fon commmmeoms m 1 fAMA GAM I NGGQI D ORES l Sydney a Waverley,ear sydflyix w uib W l a a Application "Jenn -r 1934} sfia 1 7 AustraliaAp il 27,- 933 I; v-;.

-This invention relates to ore concentrating "machines; usable also asamalgamators for gold bearing ore, of the kind 'in which aslurry-orpulpof milled ore in water is causedv topass through 5 arotating vessel inwhich .itis subjected to centrifugal action in water in circulationthrough; such vessel, thereby to efiectseparation of light densitymaterial from heaivy densitymaterial, for elimination of thelight-materialwin 'the'water flow and retentionof theheavy material inwthe ;:V6SS61. For; amalgamation, mercury ;is introduced while themachine is ,gincrotation and; heldspreadon the interior surface of thevessel by centrifugalaction; 'in-this caseythe amalgam isq-ultimatelyremoved ;form the bowl with concentrates collectedtherein. a s

The machine which. theipresent-ainvention consists compriseslancoutervessel of steppedinverted conical; section, withqannu-lar :flanges ofprogressively increasing diameter; in stepped tor:- der around itsinterioriace; said outer vessel mounted for rotationon an axialshaftrl'disposed .,verti eally;- a "conical double walled vessel lwithinsaid outer vessel mountedior rotationson a lverttical shaft coaxiall-ywith the; outer vessel; horizontal swing-blades carried ,by theinteriorv yessel,, and operatinginjthe annuli-:-;-intermediate theannular :flanges on theinterior ifaceslofv. the ,walltof the-outervessel; andymeans fonapplyin'g rotation at differentialispeedsto therespective vessels. The swing :bladesfi throw outward oby centrifugal;action and carve the ore" pulp in the annular spacesbetweenthe"flangesin. the router vessel and keep it agitated iand'iniaz' free flowingstate: while the heaviest particles are separated by centrifugalactionzand deposited upon the wall or the outer vessel; The respectivevessels are driven at diflerentialperipheral"ye .locities. r a

intothe wall space in ;the innerlvessel in a comitinuous stream whichflows radiallyoutwardat the bottom of said vessel-intoan annular bottomspace in the outer vessel. The pulp moves thence by eentritugal'actionill pwardly in the outer vessel against its wall, and in itscourse it is subjected to agitation by the carving action of the swingblades, whereby any lumps contained in it are broken and the pulp iskept in a lively flowing state; the heavier particles ,of mineral matterwhich were contained in the pulp are retained in the annuli between theflanges and the water borne tailings flow upwards over the flanges andultimately pass out through vents in a rim flange at the top of theouter vessel. In

A ee fl w n Pulp ofrore'and waterispcured thecase of, use of themachineas an amalgae ;mator,;mercury-i=s introduced andspreadsover the wall ofthe outer vesselandisretained there until a large tonnageof pulp hasbeen treated.

;';I he goldin the pulp contacts intimately with :5

the-mercury; and isamalgamatedtherewith. I A machineembodyingtheinvention illus trated in vertical section in the accompanying -drawing.g

10 is a bed plate, and 11 and. 12 are bearings :10 or drive shafts whichare bevel geared (1 3 -14) 'ito the centre-shaft 15 which carriesthe-inner V 15 which: carries the foot: of the sleeve shaft lfi.

Themechanical design of fthe"dl"i-VB arrangement :is subjecttomo'diflcation and it does not in A iti- -sel t formpartioftheinvention." Theouter con- 22O centrator vessel 23' is of invertedtruncated cone :shaperand it hasa re-entrant-,conica1 hub portion 24'.which projects upwardly within the cone -3 8' oi -theinner vessel 27Mand:isskeyed or other- "=Wise:;fixedi1;(22) tothe sleeve shaftxlfi; thesides :25 "of .the ou-ter vessel arestepped (25) :and annular'flanges2,6aare formedonits innerface ,at the topvof eachstepping. These flanges(26);; are also stepped, thatis to say, their respective-diametral.-measurements are increased progres- 'sively according'totheir distanceIrom the bottom tomthe top' oikthe vessels It is advantageous to provideintermediate shallow flanges 51 between :line x655) provided that theperforations ;50:.-are

'. not brought quite close to .the wall of the-vessel.

The inner vessel 27'is conical and has areentrant cone base 28; the topof which is: fixed to theit'op'wend oftheshaft 15'; this cone. forms 40with the outer"-wall of said vessel. an annular passage through whichthe v pulpflows :into; the bottom .of the outer vessel 23; .7 1 s I Thefeed ot pulp passes (while the'machineis iri'ioperation) mdOWn through.ztheiannulus-about '45 the cone base 28 and flows radially outward atthe foot of the annulus space 29 into the bottom of the outer vessel 23;thence it ascends in that vessel by reason of centrifugal actionproduced by the rotation of the outer vessel; practically none of itleaks through the discharge vents 43. 30 are swing beater blades hungfreely on vertical pintle spindles 31 which are carried on the peripheryof the inner conical vessel 2'7; the blades 30 are located intermediatethe flanges 26 v and operate to slash and agitate material which tendsto congregate between these flanges and thereby maintain the portions ofit which can be water borne in a flowing agitated condition so that theywill pass upwardly in the water scour.

43 are vents for releasing the saved concengal separation while it ismaintained in agitated condition.

3.-An ore separating machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the radiallydisposed members carried on the inner vessel extend into the annulibetween the annular flanges on the inner surface of the outervessel-.without touching any partfof'thelouter vesselfln' a 4. An oreseparating machine comprising an trates; they remain permanently open.Wheni jinverted truncated conical vessel with internal the machinebecomes charged up with cencen trates, it is stopped;the"concentrates-.1andyorz amalgam) sluice out through thesevents bygravity when the speed is SllfiClGlltIYf-IjQdUCBd. Any

The drive is arranged to effect rotatio of the" respective vessels atdifferent speeds iandtthQf;

speeds are regulated appropriately to the nature 'of the'ore'and thedensitynf th'epulp to' effect the; desired degreeof separation of {thelighter from the heavier cdnstituents'of the crew In'the cas e'of amachinein-which the rim diameter'of the outer vessel is about 30-inches,operating on wash dirt containing fine gold, the outer vessel isfro'tatedatab6ut= 250 revolutions per minute and the inner coneiwhichcarries the j agitator blades 30 is'rotated at about 320 revolutions perminsecure by Lett'ers Pate'ntisz 1; An ore separating" machinecomprisinga vertical outer inverted c'onical vessel with annularinternal flanges on itswall and discharge vents in the bottom of it,saidfl'angesuof progressively increasing diameters in ascending order,an;inner-erect conical vessel concentrically mounted within said outervessel. and-communieating therewith at thefoot' of it; means" forapplying rotation about a common vertical axis: at differential "speedsto said vessels, and: s'wing blades l-iung on pintles carried on saidinneraves- Sel at; positions intermediate the"flanges on the 'inner'sidefof' the outer vessels 1 2; An ore separating -machinecomprisingyavertical inverted truncated conical vessel; with annular internalflanges'of progressively increasing diameter inascending'order,wa-:concentrate adapted to throw outward by centrifugalaction and slash and agitatelpulpyascending in said'outer vessel, andmeans for rotating sa'id'inner'vesannular flanges in stepped order onits innerv {said :ves'seL 'a' conical member concentrically disreslduumsticking 1n the vessel may be washed out. 1

posed-in said vessel, passageways in said member ,;adapted ,for passingpulp therethrough into the .b'ottomofgsaid' vessel, swing blades carriedon wsaid member adapted to subdivide and agitate pulpasceiiding in saidvessel, and means for rotatingsaidvessel and said member at diiferentperipheral. velocities; thereby to subject ,the pulp .to centrifugal,separationwhile maintaining it in an agitated condition.

5'. An; ore separating machine comprising a vertically disposed hollowvessel of truncated conical shape having internal annular flanges'instepped' diameters on its wall at spaced intervals} a rim lipon itsopen top end and dischargeuvents in the'bottom of it, are-entrant cone:hub on the bottom of said vessel; carrying it} on an axial shaft," aconical interior vessel lwith 'open top and'witha re-entrant hub on thebottom' of it fixed to a vertical shaft concentric with the aforesaidshaft,.passageways from' the foot of the-annulus between said interiorvessel and its hub adapted for passing pulp from the interior-ofsaidvesselinto the foot of said outer .vessel, vertical spindles carriedon' the exterior side of said conical interior vessel, swing blades onsaid spindles positioned tolocate in the-spacexterior inverted conicalvessel with annular internal flanges at spaced i'ntervals on its wall,asaid flanges .ofxprogressively increasing diameter inia'scending order,an inward flange on its rim,

discharge vents inthe'bottom'of it, an interior I erect conical".annular vessel disposed concentrilcally' within said exterior vessel, anannular passage Lbetweerithe foot of said inner vessel and the bottomofsaid outer vessel, swinging members carried on the external part of theinner vesseL-said members spaced to locate in the annuliin the outervessel intermediate the annular internal T'flanges therein" withouttouching, the outer vessel, and adapted by reason of differenitialspeedsof rotation of the vessels to slice and agitate pulp which isin'flowing progression upwardlyinsaid'outer vessel, and meansfor'applying rotation at differential speeds to' said vessels. Z1

'SY EY AL'rER-L CK,

